A great number of modern buildings are being constructed using prefabricated panels which are individually attached to the building framework to form a wall structure. Many buildings today are constructed using prefabricated panels attached to the building structure to constitute the building's facade or skin. The materials commonly used for these panels today are: concrete, brick and tile. The brick and tile panels generally utilize a cement mortar setting bed and grout joints for bonding the brick or tile to the panel. This setting bed and related grout joint is vulnerable to cracking due to erection or wind stress and freeze thaw action. Moisture penetration as a result of this cracking can damage the panel and cause appearance problems due to efflorescence.
There has also been in use a prefabricated masonry panel in which 4".times.8" ceramic tile are secured by mortar and stucco to a metal supporting frame. This is described in a publication entitled BUCHTAL PREFABRICATED TILE PANEL SYSTEM, published in 1981 by Buchtal Corporation, U.S.A. This structure has met with substantial commercial success but must be handled carefully during transport and erection to avoid deflection which will lead to cracking of the masonry structure particularly at the grout joint between the tiles. Because of the difficulties inheritant in handling this structure, to avoid deflection the size has been limited to about 150 square feet.